A few years ago, word surfaced thatChanning TatumandJoseph Gordon-Levittwerelooking to maybe star in a flashy remakeof the musicalGuys and Dolls. It was an incredibly promising prospect given the talent of both individuals, but the project kind of faded away and, for now, appears to be dead. But not to fear! Instead of tackling an existing property, it appears that Tatum and Gordon-Levitt have opted to join forces on anoriginalmusical of their own design, and an R-rated one at that.
PerTHR, the duo are attached to star as two pilots in an untitled musical comedy for Universal Pictures that is designed to be R-rated in nature.Marc Platt, who produced the Broadway musicalWicked, is producing the project alongsideAdam Siegel, with Tatum, Gordon-Levitt, Tatum’s partnerReid Carolin, andPeter Kiernanalso onboard as producers.
So what’s the story? Well we don’t know just yet, but it’s an original idea that Gordon-Levitt hatched withMichael Bacall, who will write the script. Bacall co-wrote Gordon-Levitt’sManicas well as Tatum’s21 Jump Streetmovies, so the screenwriter has a relationship with both. He also has semi-experience in the musical genre having co-writtenScott Pilgrim vs. the World, which I’d categorize as a semi-musical.
Tatum got his start in the business as a dancer, putting that to good use in films likeMagic MikeandHail, Caesar!, and Gordon-Levitt performed his own dance number in(500) Days of Summerand has stretched his vocals on his hitRECord videos. Clearly these are two guys with a passion for song and dance, and seeing them join forces for a musical feature—and an R-rated one at that—is incredibly exciting. I’m curious to see who they’ll nab to direct this thing, and if they’ll go with someone with more experience in the comedy or musical genre. Whatever the case, I can’t wait.
It’s unclear how quickly the project will materialize. Bacall now has to write the script, and Tatum and Gordon-Levitt are both very busy guys. Tatum is gearing up to star in theX-MenspinoffGambit, with production taking place this year, and he’s also developing a directorial debut with producing partner Reid Carolin. Levitt, meanwhile, is developing abig-screen adaptation ofFraggle Rockand most recently wrapped the titular role inOliver Stone’sSnowden.
